Date: 2016-10-26

Dr Haliru Ndanusa, the Emir of Shonga in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara, on Tuesday said that more than 300 women die weekly due to maternal/child mortality related issues.

Ndanusa gave the figure at the palace of the Emir of llorin while speaking at a sensitisation/advocacy programme for women in Kwara. The advocacy programme was at the instance of the Sultanate Foundation for Peace and Development in conjunction with the UNDP/WHO.

According to him, the traditional institution in the country has a crucial role to play in curbing the menace.

Ndanusa, a first class traditional ruler in Kwara, advised his colleagues nationwide to embark on sensitisation to effect positive change in their respective environment.

This, he said, was one of the ways to further save lives of their subjects. Ndanusa urged community leaders to always take proper record of both birth and death rates in their areas in order to allow government make adequate provisions for their well-being.

The Emir, who condemned marriages to underage girls, said that such practices had contributed immensely to the significant rise in maternal mortality in Nigeria. He also advised parents and community leaders to assist in curbing the menace in their domains.

Ndanusa urged mothers to embrace family planning and child spacing in order to ensure their well-being and that of their children.

The Magajin Gari of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Adebayo, urged stakeholders in the health sector to expedite action towards giving patients qualitative healthcare. No fewer than 500 traditional rulers and women in the Ilorin Emirate and environs attended the programme.